Former President Jerry Rawlings has challenged President John Evans Atta Mills to live up to his elections 2008 campaign promise of setting up an independent and competent commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery surrounding the murder of Yaa-Yakubu Andani II and other members of his retinue in March 27, 2002.
Though, Former President Rawlings maintains that he has credible information on the killing of the Yaa-Naa, he vows not to make it available to anybody until a proper investigative team is put in place to re-investigate the matter.
He repeated that the Accra Fast Track High Court ruling came as no surprise to him because the current NDC administration under the leadership of President Mills has lost its sensibility of using what he termed as “The moral high ground” of the society to rule Ghana in line with the principles of freedom, truth and justice.
“Those in authority today have forgotten that the NDC was not created out of money and it is because they do not have any idea about where we came from that is why they are misbehaving in government” he charged.
The former President was addressing a large gathering of people at the Tamale Jubilee Park to climax his two days visit to Tamale to assess the situation on the ground in respect of the burning of NDC property by angry NDC/Andani youth in protest against the Accra Fast Track High Court ruling which exonerated all the fifteen Abudu suspects.
According to former President Rawlings, the Atta Mills led NDC administration has disowned him as a member of the party he formed out of the PNDC hence the need for all NDC members who are loyal to his course to be bold and wake up to the challenge of cleansing the party.
“Today my own people in power have disowned me because of my stand for justice, probity and accountability and I am telling them money cannot overpower my moral values especially when it has to do with justice” he complained.
“Time is fast approaching for some of us in the NDC to be bold and take an informed decision to cleanse the party ahead of future elections or else we will all sink together as a result of the weak leadership we have today” he stressed.
He also condemned the killing of an unidentified young man who was allegedly shot dead by security personnel on Tuesday March 29, 2011 in Tamale following the skirmishes that erupted after the court ruling. Former President Rawlings therefore requested of the Ministries of Interior and Defence to set up an investigative team to investigate circumstances that led to that man’s unfortunate death and bring the perpetrators to book.
In addition, he pleaded with the Ministry of Interior to do something about the curfew hours which he noted has adverse effects on the socio-economic development of residents of Tamale and its environs.
He further reminded President Mills of his responsibility to investigate the financial atrocities and serial killings that took place during the Kufour era. This in his estimation will redeem the NDC’s sinking image which he said is largely because of President Mills’ “Cowardly” nature of failing to deal with the human brutalities and corrupt practices that occurred during the erstwhile NPP administration under retired President Kufuor’s watch.
“I am highly disappointed and disheartened in the current NDC administration’s lackadaisical attitude towards investigating the wrong deeds of past government officials during the Kufour regime.”
Other speakers including Lawyer Ibrahim Mahama who was legal advisor to the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II said they were prepared to die for justice at all cost.
He commended former President Rawlings of his continuous call for justice to the Yaa-Naa and Issah Mobila cases and pledged their commitment to rally behind him to ensure that justice is done.
